1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus and a recording medium for a digital data copy operation of digital data between recording media on which digital data are recorded or management of digitally copied data.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, various kinds of digital recording media such as an optical disc, a magnetooptical disc, a magnetic tape, etc. have been practically used, and they have been broadly used to record and reproduce audio, video, computer program, data, etc.
It is possible to make a so-called digital copy in which the digital data reproduced in the reproducing apparatus are transmitted to the recording apparatus while kept in the digital data form, and the digital data are recorded into a recording medium in the recording apparatus.
According to the digital copy, theoretically, data deterioration represented by deterioration in audio signals or video signals never occurs, and thus recording media in which the same quality of data are recorded can be copied with no limitation.
When works for copyright such as audio, video such as movies, computer programs, etc. are recorded in recording media, the works may be copied with no limitation by digitally copying the works in recording media, and this is a critical problem.
There has been known a system in which digital copy is permitted to only first generation through the processing of setting a predetermined flag at a recording medium side during a digital copy operation, like a serial copy management system which is adopted in a DAT (digital audio tape) system. However, sufficient copy management has not been performed on this system. For example, if many recording apparatuses are connected to one reproducing apparatus and they perform the recording operation at the same time, a large number of digital media of first generation could be formed. That is, it is not sure that the possibility that the works are copied somewhat readily and with no limitation is avoided.
Such a serial copy management system has been described as relative art in U.S. Pat. Ser. Nos. 5,057,947, 5,185,792, and 5,231,546.
Accordingly, there has been required a system which can perform the management of a digital copy operation itself or the management of digitally-copied data sufficiently and flexibly.
The present invention has been implemented in view of the foregoing situation, and has an object to provide a recording medium, a digital copy management method, a reproducing apparatus and a recording apparatus which construct a system for performing the management of a digital copy operation itself or the management of digitally copied data.